Blog - Notes From The Fieldhttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/
Notes From The Field BlogThu, 26 Feb 2015 11:30:00 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/a7c0d844-c90f-481e-88ff-cd303dc00ac1.aspx
a7c0d844-c90f-481e-88ff-cd303dc00ac1The mechanics of maple sugaring call for creating a tap hole in a sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ), inserting a draining port (e.g., spile), collecting the 2-4% sugar-concentrated sap drips, and evaporating 39 gallons of water for every 40 gallons of collected sap. Various cultures have been perfecting this syrup-procuring method for centuries. Maple syrup can even be distilled further into maple sugar, a crystallized tasty treat. Maple sugar was the American Indians’ only sweetener prior to honeybee intro...SinzibukwudThu, 19 Feb 2015 16:24:28 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/ab1cf060-9220-45e1-9cfe-a86d76cf8254.aspx
ab1cf060-9220-45e1-9cfe-a86d76cf8254This is how you catch a vulture. When I was growing up, I roamed the neighborhoods of Painesville, Ohio in search of nature connecting activities. &nbsp; I did find some; kids like me was always do. &nbsp; But I longed for a more rural living with wilder experiences. &nbsp; We would drive out to my grandmother’s house in Ashtabula where there was a big farm field, deep woods and an orchard for me to explore. &nbsp; I loved it. &nbsp; Large birds would fly overhead. &nbsp; Vultures. &nbsp; I dreamed abou...How to Catch a VultureWed, 18 Feb 2015 15:41:39 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/4ef206ce-7cc3-47b7-b657-c576f4898d3f.aspx
4ef206ce-7cc3-47b7-b657-c576f4898d3fThe environmental values of wetlands are well-documented. &nbsp; They purify and store stormwater, prevent flood damage, and function as nurseries for shellfish and sport fish. &nbsp; These qualities are concrete, tangible and translate into cold, hard cash. &nbsp; But wetlands have other values that are more difficult to measure. &nbsp; Today, I wandered a wetland to witness crystals of frost hugging swaths of last year’s cattails. &nbsp; Delicate windowpanes of ice outline the water’s surface where it...WONDERS OF WETLANDSWed, 04 Feb 2015 18:00:00 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/e524be22-2cd8-45f2-826f-b903e6204820.aspx
e524be22-2cd8-45f2-826f-b903e6204820Garfield Park Reservation’s visitor center is transitioning into an Urban Agriculture Center that promotes homegrown foods and backyard sustainability skills. We have the opportunity to try all sorts of new public programs, and we’re having a lot of fun along the way. &nbsp; Today, my co-workers and I were cooking up a storm preparing for upcoming programs. Cleveland Metroparks Naturalist Beth Whiteley commandeered virtually every pot in the building as she created natural dyes for an art program. The k...What's Cookin' at Garfield Park?Thu, 29 Jan 2015 18:17:22 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/a4addeab-6b9f-4049-90ec-180d25bcb616.aspx
a4addeab-6b9f-4049-90ec-180d25bcb616Take a moment to think back on your childhood when the only things that really mattered were playing outside all day and having fun. As adults, many of us lose this perspective on life. One of my favorite authors, Rachel Carson, wrote: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” Cleveland Metroparks Naturalists try to be those people who make a...The Thrill of a LifetimeThu, 22 Jan 2015 11:30:00 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/7fd3bbae-17c0-484c-9680-ee41f7789e73.aspx
7fd3bbae-17c0-484c-9680-ee41f7789e73For the bird-seeking wildlife enthusiast, New Year’s Day refreshes the annual list of species recorded through the lens of a spotting scope, binoculars, camera, or eye. For some, the list may only be a fleeting memory of a regal raptor seen soaring above Lake Erie’s shoreline. For others, the list may be kept with scrutiny, noting such details as time, location, weather, all species present, and a total count of individuals from each species. More still, the most inclusive of birders treat their observat...Big Years & Big BirdsThu, 15 Jan 2015 16:00:00 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/3d02faec-d465-4b9b-86de-aafd7c8814c0.aspx
3d02faec-d465-4b9b-86de-aafd7c8814c0Winter is Coming Here While driving in the snow and shoveling the driveway may not be everyone’s favorite activities, watching the snow fall from the comfort of a cushy chair, or while out on a hike in the woods can be one of the greatest experiences. But what is a snowflake? &nbsp; Snowflakes form when water molecules that are cooled down in the atmosphere, encounter and stick to atmospheric aerosols (particles floating in the air such as dust, pollen, etc.) These molecules then start to slowly crystal...Winter is HereThu, 01 Jan 2015 06:07:08 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/352bee5c-9f40-41b8-864d-60c8b57236d5.aspx
352bee5c-9f40-41b8-864d-60c8b57236d5It may be freezing and gray outside, but in my head, next spring’s garden is in full bloom. It’s that time of year again: the seed catalogs are arriving in the mail. A variety of shapes and sizes from all over the country stuff my postbox, each catalog boasts a dizzying, color-saturated cornucopia of fresh foods across its cover, tempting would-be buyers to open their pages with promises of vegetal nirvana. Some gals might go crazy over shoes or purses, but for me, it’s all about the seeds. I do believe...Seed FeverWed, 31 Dec 2014 16:52:18 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/21e0da5a-6e23-49e1-94da-1a1cc41391ee.aspx
21e0da5a-6e23-49e1-94da-1a1cc41391eeThe ? is for the skeptics. Dinosaur footprints are accepted as fossils and I suspect that other than slight differences in size and age, snowflake imprints are fossils as well. The Fiona Macleold quote beautifully describes how I have come to love the winter woods:&nbsp; “Go to the winter woods: listen there, look, watch, and the ‘dead months’ will give you a subtler secret than you have yet found in the forest.” To fully appreciate the secret of the moment you must be still and quiet. Once you have hea...Fossil Snowflakes?Wed, 24 Dec 2014 11:30:00 GMThttp://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Notes-From-The-Field-Blog/d9dfab35-23a2-4d3d-a59c-962e1c813ba0.aspx
d9dfab35-23a2-4d3d-a59c-962e1c813ba0A hike is more than a walk in the woods. It's a chance to exercise sure, but it's also a chance to work out your wild intellect. When I lead a hike, I usually do a bit of reconnaissance in the months preceding, and again days before the hike. This ritual is to familiarize myself with the trail and to get a sense of seasonal change on a local scale. An experienced naturalist has an understanding of biological and physical features present in the local ecosystem. Part of this sense is so we can provide vis...Blonding